The present invention relates generally to releasable diver's weight pouches, and specifically to such pouches having a curvature retaining device with the ability to bend to conform to the diver's hip when used in a buoyancy compensator vest.
Underwater diving preferentially requires the use of a buoyancy compensator vest having an inflatable bladder to provide for buoyancy trim or compensation to a diver. Buoyancy compensators are inflated by oral power or compressed gas obtained through the diver's air tank. When inflated, the buoyancy compensator vest provides the diver with increased buoyancy at greater depths to overcome the fact that a diver's buoyancy decreases with depth. This is because with greater pressure, a loss takes place regarding the lifting characteristics of the diver's buoyancy, primarily due to compression of his wet suit and associated diving equipment.
Conversely, as the diver ascends or approaches the surface, his buoyancy increases as the compression of his wet suit and other equipment recovers. As inherent buoyancy is regained, air must be released from the buoyancy compensator to return the system to neutral buoyancy.
Thus, by increasing or decreasing the buoyancy provided by the buoyancy compensator, a diver can adjust his buoyancy to a neutral state. This is provided by either adding air to the buoyancy compensator or releasing it. A conventional buoyancy compensator vest is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 4,068,657, which is incorporated by reference.
A weight belt is often used to assist in achieving neutral buoyancy. Commonly, this consists of a sturdy, waist mounted belt having heavy metallic (typically lead) weights attached to the belt. In an emergency, it is desirable to release the weights quickly so that the diver can readily return to the surface.
A conventional variation of the weight belt is provided in the form of a harness formed of a belt having attached shoulder straps which prevent the belt and weights from slipping off. The disadvantage of the harness is that, in an emergency, it is difficult to jettison the harness without becoming entangled with the straps.
Various quick release systems have been provided to address the problem of rapid release of diving weights. One such attempt used a bottom opening pocket. Gravity is required for proper operation of these systems, making the operation most effective with the diver's body in the vertical position. However, this is not always the case when the diver is in the water.
In recent years, buoyancy compensators have been combined with a vest configuration designed to hold a diver's backpack that supports a container or tank of pressurized gas on a diver's back. Such a combination is disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,679, incorporated by reference. The popular combination of vest, backpack, and buoyancy compensator has made the use of a weight belt somewhat awkward and inconvenient to wear and to operate.
Also, the flexibility of the vest causes the back, waistband, and arm or shoulder openings to collapse, twist and tangle so that the vest or spider is not easily accessible or removable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,247 discloses a buoyancy compensator vest having build-in weight pockets. Weights located in envelopes are removably inserted in the pockets of the vest. However, a drawback of this design is that the weights are often located on or adjacent the diver's hip bone. Through the tightening of the vest and the diver's motion during diving, the presence of the weight adjacent the hip bone causes discomfort. This problem is exacerbated by weights which are typically block-shaped pieces of lead and do not readily conform to the diver's body. Also, individual differences in body size and shape result in conventional vest/backpack/weight retaining units to fit some divers more comfortably than others. There is also an increasing interest in providing diving equipment which comfortably fits female divers.
As a consequence, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved combined buoyancy compensator vest/weight retaining device which accommodates the diver's torso, particularly the hip bone.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved buoyancy compensator vest with built-in weights which has a releasable, weight-retaining pouch with a deformable, yet retainable curvature which corresponds to that of the individual diver using the device.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved buoyancy compensator vest with built-in weights located in a releasable weight pouch having a curvature retaining device which causes the weights to move to conform to the individual diver's torso.